Ground core removing tool

ABSTRACT

A manually usable turf and ground core cutting, extracting and replacing tool for use by exploratory-minded enthusiasts and collectors of buried metal coins, objects and artifacts having monetary or intrinsic value, as the case may be. It comprises a vertically elongated cylinder whose upper apertured end is provided with suitably convenient handle means and whose lower open end is provided with an annular cutting edge which can be pressed through the turf and forcibly embedded in the selected core taking area of the ground. A tubular plunger member is slidingly and operatively mounted on and in the cylinder and has a projectable and retractable core engaging head. A rod of requisite length is fitted for reciprocation in the hollow portion of the tubular member and is used (1) as an object searching and locating probe and (2) as a guide for the cylinder and plunger assembly.

United States Patent Walesch et al.

[ GROUND CORE REMOVING TOOL 3,506,296 4/1970 Nelson ..294/50.7 2,539,271 1/1951 Rianda.... ..ll1/99 1,939,897 12/1933 Hill ..294/50.7 X

[4 1 Dec. 26, 1972 Primary Examiner-Ernest R. Purser Attorney-Clarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson [5 7 ABSTRACT A manually usable turf and ground core cutting, extracting and replacing tool for use by exploratoryminded enthusiasts and collectors of buried metal coins, objects and artifacts having monetary or intrinsic value, as the case may be. It comprises a vertically elongated cylinder whose upper apertured end is provided with suitably convenient handle means and 1 whose lower open end is provided with an annular cutting edge which can be pressed through the turf and forcibly embedded in the selected core taking area of the ground. A tubular plunger member is slidingly and operatively mounted on and in the cylinder and has a projectable and retractable core engaging head. A rod of requisite length is fitted for reciprocation in the hollow portion of the tubular member and is used (1) as an object searching and locating probe and (2) as a guide for the cylinder and plunger assembly.

5 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures W7 1kg PATENTED nEc 2 6 I972 David J. Wa/esc/r Allan A. Meng/er and GROUND CORE REMOVING TOOL This invention relates to portable manually usable coin shooters tools and implements and has to do, more particularly, with a tool which lends itself to feasible and gratifying use when employed in conjunction with a portable metal detector which when the selfcontained coil is passed over an embedded metal object, a coin or the like, brings a telltale visual or audible signal into play and in so doing designates the area which is to be explored.

Persons conversant with the field of endeavor herein under consideration and who have used metal detectors of various types are aware that generally stated, the detector can be relied upon to designate an exploratory turf or ground area of approximately two or three inches in diameter and which, generally stated, is

ample to enable the interested collector to bring into play the herein disclosed ground core cutting and extracting tool.

An object of the instant invention is to provide and equip the tool user with an adaptation which isstructurally, functionally, and otherwise suitable for use and which when properly employed will permit him to successfully cut the turf and ground core, extract the same for examination and thereafter restore the ground core to approximate intact form and replace it in the hole or adit from which it was dislodged and withdrawn.

Also, and as will be hereinafter clarified, when the spotted area has been narrowed down an elongated probing rod, a component part of the over-all tool, is brought into play and the leading end is forcibly embedded in the potential core in a manner to pinpoint the object, after which the rod is left in place to serve not only as a probe but, and this is important, as a guide for the cooperable component parts of the tool.

In carrying out the principles of the invention and in addition to providing the anchored probe with its guide portion extending well above the level of the ground, the way is thus paved to bring into play the hollow reciprocable tubular member of a handle-equipped plunger, that is, a plunger which is slidingly mounted in a cylinder and through the medium of which the desired core is cut and thereafter lifted from the ground with the embedded rod and pinpointed object for expedient and time and labor saving results.

The ground core cutting, and extracting and replacing tool herein revealed is not to be confused with similarly performing lawn implements and planting devices and, in this connection, it will be noted that there are no teeth to dig or tear the lawn; only a sharp cutting edge, this feature being of significant importance in that little or no damage is caused to the sod or turf which is acted on.

Then, too, and as will be later clarified, the tool is placed over the located sub-surface object, the reciprocable plunger is pushed downward and retrieves the object by the withdrawal of the plunger which, manifestly, tends to bring up the object together with the intact core which is kept in place in the plungerequipped cylinder, and after which the coin or other object is removed and the core is plugged back into the cylinder it can be returned to the open hole or adit by carrying out the desired downward lining up and plunging step.

Briefly the over-all concept has to do with an object searching and locating probe. The probe comprises a simple elongated rod of requisite length and cross-section which has a lower leading end which is adapted to be caused to penetrate the turf and ground at the area which is to be explored and extracted in the form of a core. The upstanding portion of the rod is adapted to provide a guide. The guide serves in conjunction with the novelly constructed turf and ground core cutting and extracting and replacing tool. The tool is characterized by a vertically elongated hollow cylinder having an upper end which is closed except fora central or axial opening. It has a lower open end which is provided with a turf and ground penetrating and cutting edge. Handle means is fixedly mounted'on the upper end portion of the cylinder and has handgrips projecting from diametrically opposite sides. The cutting edge is adapted to be pressed against the turf and forcibly embedded in a selected core taking area of the ground. The plunger means is mounted onthe cylinder and is reciprocably operable within the confines of the hollow portion of the cylinder and has handle means at its top and embodies a tubular plunger member to permit passage I of the aforementioned rod or probe therethrough.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a plot of ground in a field or other area which is to be explored by the coin shooter, as he is commonly called, and showing more particularly the ground core removing tool in readiness for use.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view with parts in section and elevation taken approximately on the plane of the vertical section line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of the indicating arrows.

FIG. 3 is a horizontal section taken approximately on the plane of the section line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG, 4 is a view in perspective showing the intact core with the embedded coin and embedded lower leading end portion of the probe or rod and which is readied for the step of breaking the core and lifting out the coin or other object.

And FIG. 5 is a view also in perspective showing one manner of breaking the core into portions, pinpointing the locale of the coin and removing the coin subsequent to which the component parts are stuck back together and chucked into the lower end of the cylinder for replacement purposes (not detailed).

The aforementioned vertically elongated rigid hollow cylinder is denoted by the numeral 6. The hollow portion is denoted at 8. The upper end portion 10 is substantially closed as at 12, that is, closed except for a central axial guide opening 14. The lower end portion 16 is suitably chamfered and sharpened to provide an endless or annular cutting edge 18 which is adapted to penetrate the turf 20 and that portion of the earth or ground which is to be acted on, the ground being denoted generally at 22. The handle means is regarded as a component part of the cylinder 6 and in carrying out this aspect of the concept the tubular member is provided and has a median portion 24 bridging the hollow part 8 of the cylinder and end portions extending through diametrically opposite openings 26 which are provided therefor as shown in FIG. 1. The projecting end portions provide handles 28 equipped with appropriate anti-slipping grips 30. The component parts 28 and 30 are referred to, generally stated, as outwardly radiating diametrically opposite handgrips. It will be noted that the enclosed portion 24 of this tube or tubular member is provided with registering guide openings 32 for the elongated tubular member 34 of the aforementioned plunger 36. This tubular member is of a length substantially commensurate with or slightly greater than the over-all length of the cylinder 6. An upper median portion of the tubular member is guidingly slidable through the axial guide opening 14-. A portion therebelow is passed through and slidable in the aforementioned guide holes or openings 32. This coacting arrangement of features provides for stable reciprocation of the plunger. The upper end of the plunger is provided with a crosshead 38 which is at right angles to the axis of the tubular member. Thus the the tubular member is provided with a friction-fitted bushing 42. The lower end portion is also provided with an encompassing laterally extending disc-like follower head 44. This head is designated as projeetable and retractable and is operable in the manner suggested in full and phantom lines in FIG. 2. The extreme lower end portion of the tubular member is denoted at 46. It will be observed that the cross-sectional dimension of the tubular member is proportional with the openings or holes 14 and 32 and also is considerably less in crosssection than the inside diameter of the hollow portion 8 of the cylinder. Likewise the disc-like head. 44 is of a diameter greater than the tubular member but is of an outside diameter less than the inside diameter of the cylinder.

A significant and component part of the over-all combination has to do with the aforementioned vertically elongated rod 48 which constitutes a manually usable search probe. The lower pointed end of the probe is denoted at 50 and is cooperable with the embedded coin or object 52. This rod is slidable through the bushing and upwardly through and beyond the opening 40 where the extreme upper end 54 is accessible. It is reiterated that the rod is not only a feeler and probe but is a guide for the tubular member 32 of the aforementioned plunger 36.

The dirt or earth core is denoted by the numeral 56 and one component or end portion is denoted at 58 and the other end portion at 60. The coin as already suggested is denoted at 52 and the recess from which it is extracted,as shown in FIG. 5,is denoted at 62.

It is believed to be evident from the disclosure that the invention is aptly and satisfactorily used for extracting a cylindrical core of sod and extracting a coin or small metal object from this core of sod, then replacing the core in the same hole or adit from which it came without damage to the sod or turf. The over-all implement or tool is hand-operated and is relatively small and easily carried by the user. The handle means as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is centered through the cylinder for strength and passes through the openings 14 and 32 for reliable guided control. The elongate portion 34 of the over-all plunger 36 provides for the passage of the aforementioned insertable and removable probe or rod 48. This probe is used to pinpoint the locale of the object 52 in the removable and replaceable core 64 (FIGS. 4 and 5). One manner of use is where the user inserts the search probe in the plunger and the over-all tool is centered over the coin or metal object. The plunger will rise as the tool is cutting; the search probe being inside of the plunger tubing so that when the core is extracted from the tool the search probe will remain in the core as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. In keeping with this mode or manner of.use the core can be broken by hand at the exact embedded depth of the search probe and the coin or metal object can be extracted from the core and the restored core can replaced in the same hole it came from (not detailed).

It will be evident that the metal rod 48 is an essential component part of the over-all tool. When used in conjunction with a metal detector, the use is briefly as follows. When the search coil of the metal detector (not shown) passes over a buried metal object, such as a coin, the detector gives off a visual and audible signal. It functions to indicate an area of approximately 2 or 3 inches in diameter on the surface which is to be acted on. With the area narrowed down it may be advisable to use the rod first as a probe (not detailed). By probing the ground the user pinpoints the object, when located, and the rod is left in place as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. At this stage the probe or rod becomes a guide by placing the hollow tubular member 34 over the rod and sliding the entire tool down and into the ground in a manner to remove the ground core with the rod embedded in the core and touching the embedded object.

It is believed that the construction and cooperable arrangement of the component parts which make up the tool proper, are clear, the tool thus construed comprising a cylinder 6 of requisite height and cross-sectional dimension and having handle means and guides 14 and 32, a cutting edge 18 to penetrate the turf and soil or ground, and handle means with outstanding hand-grips. The probe or rod 48 while used in coordinate relation with the tool as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is capable of use as a preliminary step by itself (not shown).

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A manually usable turf ground core cutting, removing and replacing tool comprising: a hollow cylinder having upper and lower end portions, the lower end portion of said cylinder being adapted to be pressed against the turf and forcibly embedded in a selected core taking area of the ground, said upper portion being provided with handle means, plunger means slidingly and operatively mounted in and on said cylinder, said plunger means having an upper end provided with handling means and a lower end provided with a projectable and retractable core engaging head, said plunger means having its median portion slidingly mounted in an upper closed but axially apertured end of said cylinder, said plunger means comprising a rigid tubular member commensurate in length with the length of said cylinder, said tubular member being of an outside diameter appreciably less thanthe inside diameter of said cylinder and said head being fixed on the lower leading end of said tubular member and being of a diameter also appreciably less than the inside diameter of said cylinder, and a manually usable search probe separate from but cooperably associated with said tubular member, said search probe comprising an elongated substantially rigid rod which is slidingly fitted in and passed through and beyond the bore of said tubular member, said rod being of a length greater than the length of said tubular member and having a lower end which is adapted to pierce the aforementioned core in a manner to pinpoint the object which is embedded in said core.

2. The tool defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said cylinder is vertically elongated and is designed and adapted for stand-up use, the lower end portion of said cylinder having a turf and ground penetrating and cutting edge, said handle means comprising handgrips fixed on said upper portion and radiating outwardly for readily accessible grasping, tool thrusting, and lifting use.

3. For use in conjunction with a portable signallingtype metal discovering detector such as is commonly used for detecting the locale of a buried metal object such as, for example, a metal trinket, a coin or an artifact of one type or another: an object searching and locating probe comprising an elongated rod of requisite length and cross-section having a lower leading end which is adapted to penetrate the turf and ground at the area which is to be explored, the upstanding portion of said rod being adapted to provide a guide, a turf and ground core cutting, extracting and replacing tool comprising a vertically elongated hollow cylinder having an upper end centrally provided with an axial opening and a lower open end portion which is provided with a turf and ground penetrating cutting edge, handle means fixedly mounted on the upper end portion of said cylinder, said cutting edge being adapted to be pressed against the turf and forcibly embedded in a selected core taking area of the ground, plunger means comprising a rigid rubular member commensurate in length with the length of said cylinder, said tubular member being of an outside diameter appreciably less than the inside diameter of said cylinder, a head fixed on the lower leading end of said tubular member and of a diameter also appreciably less than the inside diameter of said cylinder, said rod being slidingly fitted in and passed through and beyond the bore of said tubular member, said rod being of a length greater than the length of said tubular member and having a lower leading end which is adapted to be forcibly axially thrust into the core in a manner to pinpoint the object which is embedded in said core.

4. The device defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein said tubular member has an exposed readily accessible end provided with a fixed crosshead constituting handling means, the aforementioned handle means comprisrng a tube disposed at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of said cylinder and has a median portion passing across the hollow upper portion of said cylinder, end portions projecting beyond diametrically opposite side surfaces of the cylinder, said intermediate portion having aligned holes, and a portion of said tubular member being guidingly reciprocable through said aligned holes in a manner that said tube assists in stabilizing the position and mode of operation of said tubular member.

5. A manually usable turf tool comprising a hollow cylinder having upper and lower end portions, the lower end portion of said cylinder being adapted to be pressed against the turf and forcibly embedded in a selected core taking area of the ground, said upper portion being provided with accessible exteriorly disposed handle means, plunger means slidingly and operatively mounted in and on an upper end of said cylinder, said plunger means having an upper end provided with handling means and a lower end provided with a core engaging head projectable beyond said lower end portion of the cylinder and retractable into and within the confines of the hollow portion of said cylinder, said plunger means having a median portion slidingly mounted in an upper apertured end portion of said cylinder, said plunger means comprising a rigid tubular member commensurate in length with the length of said cylinder, and a manually usable search probe separate from but cooperatively associated with said tubular member, said search probe comprising an elongated substantially rigid rod which is slidingly fitted in and passed through and beyond the bore of said tubular member and having a lower end which is adapted to pierce the aforementioned core in a manner to pinpoint the object which is presumably embedded in said core. 

1. A manually usable turf ground core cutting, removing and replacing tool comprising: a hollow cylinder having upper and lower end portions, the lower end portion of said cylinder being adapted to be pressed against the turf and forcibly embedded in a selected core taking area of the ground, said upper portion being provided with handle means, plunger means slidingly and operatively mounted in and on said cylinder, said plunger means having an upper end provided with handling means and a lower end provided with a projectable and retractable core engaging head, said plunger means having its median portion slidingly mounted in an upper closed but axially apertured end of said cylinder, said plunger means comprising a rigid tubular member commensurate in length with the length of said cylinder, said tubular member being of an outside diameter appreciably less than the inside diameter of said cylinder and said head being fixed on the lower leading end of said tubular member and being of a diameter also appreciably less than the inside diameter of said cylinder, and a manually usable search probe separate from but cooperably associated with said tubular member, said search probe comprising an elongated substantially rigid rod which is slidingly fitted in and passed through and beyond the bore of said tubular member, said rod being of a length greater than the length of said tubular member and having a lower end which is adapted to pierce the aforementioned core in a manner to pinpoint the object which is embedded in said core.
 2. The tool defined in and according to claim 1, and whereiN said cylinder is vertically elongated and is designed and adapted for stand-up use, the lower end portion of said cylinder having a turf and ground penetrating and cutting edge, said handle means comprising handgrips fixed on said upper portion and radiating outwardly for readily accessible grasping, tool thrusting, and lifting use.
 3. For use in conjunction with a portable signalling-type metal discovering detector such as is commonly used for detecting the locale of a buried metal object such as, for example, a metal trinket, a coin or an artifact of one type or another: an object searching and locating probe comprising an elongated rod of requisite length and cross-section having a lower leading end which is adapted to penetrate the turf and ground at the area which is to be explored, the upstanding portion of said rod being adapted to provide a guide, a turf and ground core cutting, extracting and replacing tool comprising a vertically elongated hollow cylinder having an upper end centrally provided with an axial opening and a lower open end portion which is provided with a turf and ground penetrating cutting edge, handle means fixedly mounted on the upper end portion of said cylinder, said cutting edge being adapted to be pressed against the turf and forcibly embedded in a selected core taking area of the ground, plunger means comprising a rigid rubular member commensurate in length with the length of said cylinder, said tubular member being of an outside diameter appreciably less than the inside diameter of said cylinder, a head fixed on the lower leading end of said tubular member and of a diameter also appreciably less than the inside diameter of said cylinder, said rod being slidingly fitted in and passed through and beyond the bore of said tubular member, said rod being of a length greater than the length of said tubular member and having a lower leading end which is adapted to be forcibly axially thrust into the core in a manner to pinpoint the object which is embedded in said core.
 4. The device defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein said tubular member has an exposed readily accessible end provided with a fixed crosshead constituting handling means, the aforementioned handle means comprising a tube disposed at right angles to the lengthwise dimension of said cylinder and has a median portion passing across the hollow upper portion of said cylinder, end portions projecting beyond diametrically opposite side surfaces of the cylinder, said intermediate portion having aligned holes, and a portion of said tubular member being guidingly reciprocable through said aligned holes in a manner that said tube assists in stabilizing the position and mode of operation of said tubular member.
 5. A manually usable turf tool comprising a hollow cylinder having upper and lower end portions, the lower end portion of said cylinder being adapted to be pressed against the turf and forcibly embedded in a selected core taking area of the ground, said upper portion being provided with accessible exteriorly disposed handle means, plunger means slidingly and operatively mounted in and on an upper end of said cylinder, said plunger means having an upper end provided with handling means and a lower end provided with a core engaging head projectable beyond said lower end portion of the cylinder and retractable into and within the confines of the hollow portion of said cylinder, said plunger means having a median portion slidingly mounted in an upper apertured end portion of said cylinder, said plunger means comprising a rigid tubular member commensurate in length with the length of said cylinder, and a manually usable search probe separate from but cooperatively associated with said tubular member, said search probe comprising an elongated substantially rigid rod which is slidingly fitted in and passed through and beyond the bore of said tubular member and having a lower end which is adapted to pierce the aforementioned core in a manner to pinpoint the object which is preSumably embedded in said core. 